Steering column arrangement for airplanes



March 28, 1944.

J. HASELQFF ETAL.

STEERING COLUMN ARRANGEMENT FOR AIRPLANES Filedoct. 25, 194D v FigJ an #be/ Patented Mar. 28, 1944 STEERING COLUMN ARRANGEIWENT FOR AIRPLANES Johann Haseloif and Erich Wessel, Dessau, Ger many; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application October 23, 1940, Serial No. 362,426 in Germany June 13, 1939 (i Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in steering column arrangements for airplanes. It is customary at the present time to provide a steering column which projects upwardly in front of a pilots seat and has a control member, consisting of a handwheel or other suitable handle, either mounted directly adjacent the upper extremity of the column, or else an arm pivoted thereadjacent and adapted to project laterally from the column so that the control member mounted towards the outer end of the arm may be readily turned over to a co-pilot seated to one side of the pilot. In either case however the column interferes with the pilots range of vision in the direction of flight, and while this is sometimes detrimental for a commercial pilot it is a fiar greater drawback for a pursuit pilot who has to watch sighting devices and at the same time steer a desired course.

It is an object of the invention to provide a steering column arrangement which enables a pilot to obtain an unobstructed range of vision in a forward direction and still permits the use of control members mounted directly adjacent the columns, or on intermediately positioned yarms supported for pivotal movement so that the control members carried thereby may be readily turned over to a co-pilot seated to one side or the other of the pilot. Thus we aim to provide a steering column arrangement which permits such uninterrupted range of vision that a pilot may comfortably operate sighting devices and the like while steering a desired course.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steering column arrangement including two laterally spaced columns separated at least towards their upper extremities and connected for rotation about acommon axis, so that ample space is provided to aiord the pilot a broad range of vision between the said columns. The invention contemplates the use either of two columns separated throughout their entire height or having their upper portions only separated. In the latter case the separated columns may be integral either with a com-mon member the upper portion of which is centrally and vertically slotted, or with a common member whereon the separated columns consist of two upwardly projecting branches disposed in the form of the upper part of a Y.

We will now proceed to describe these three preferred forms of the invention with the aid of the acompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a front elevation of one lorm of our steering column arrangement Wherein both columns are separated throughout their entire height.

Figure 2 illustrates a modied arrangement wherein the columns are substantially in the form of branches of a Y.

Figure 3 shows another modiiication wherein the two columns extend upwardly from a common member which is vertically and centrally slotted from the top.

Referring first to Figure 1, 3 is a hollow shaft suitably supported for rotation as in bearings 3a. Fixed upon the shaft 3 are two spaced, parallel columns I and 2 which may also be tubular. kMounted on pivot members 4 and 5 carried by the upper extremities of the columns I and 2 are arms 6 and 1 respectively, the latter being also usually hollow. Mounted on other pivot members 8 and 9 on the outer extremities of these arms 6 and 1 are control members or handles I!) and I I respectively. Suitable connecting means, such as chains I4 passing around rollers I5, extend through the arms 6 and 1, the columns l and 2 and the shaft 3 to connect the control members ID and I! so that movement of one member imparts a corresponding rotary movement to the other. Any suitable conventional means (not shown) inlay be used to impart movement to the partvor parts, to be moved by rotation of the members Ill and Il. It will thus be seen that rotation of either control member IIl or II moves the other member correspondingly, and that either arm 6 or 1 may be independently swung about its pivot member 4 or 5, as for instance the arm 1 may be swung to the position indicated at 1a to bring the control member to its position Ila. so that it may be readily handled by a co-pilot seated to the left of the pilot.

If desired, any desiredv means (not shown) may be provided for locking the arms 6 and 1 against pivotal movement relative to their respective columns I and Z, and also for looking the control members Ill and II against pivotal movement relative to their respective arms 6 and 1.

In the modified embodiment of Figure 2, the shaft 3 and its mounting means as well as the elements numbered 4 to- I I are the Same as in Figure l. However, columns I and 2 of Figure 1 are replaced by a pair of columns I and 2 which are disposed in the form of a Y at the bottom. This Y is rigidly attached to a collar 2li fixed to the rotary shaft 3. In this arrangement chain Ii passes directly between columns I and 2'.

Figure 3 shows a further modification which is primarily adapted for use in cases where it is not necessary to provide arms to permit the lateral swinging of the control members. In this clase the column member 3 fixed upon the shaft 3 is centrally and vertically slotted from the top to form two separated columns l" and 2" between which a gap l2 is thus provided to afford the range of vision desired. In this case the control members l0 and Il are directly pivoted adjacent the tops of the columns I and 2" by. pivot members 8 and 9' respectively.

It will thus be noted that in al1 embodiments provision has been made for an ample range of vision between the two steering columns and the pilot is permitted a clear and unobstructed View ahead both to facilitate navigation and also to permit the operation of sighting mechanisms with greater ease and accuracy.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and shown, it is understood that further alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided the said alterations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. An arrangement of the character described comprising a shaft mounted for rotation, two spaced columns carried thereby for rotation therewith and projecting radially therefrom in the same direction to provide a range of vision between them, an arm pivoted on each column, and a control member rotatably mounted and carried by each arm,

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, includs ing means connecting the control members "3 whereby rotary movementl of one of them imparts a corresponding movement to the other.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, Wherein the two columns are separate throughout their entire length and are separately secured to the shaft.

4. In a steering column construction for aircraft comprising, a shaft mounted for rotation, two columns rigidly mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith and projecting away from said shaft with their remote ends spaced from each other, and with said columns positioned substantially in an axial direction with respect to said shaft whereby a range of vision is provided between the columns, a pair of arms pivoted respectively upon the remote ends of said columns, and a pair of control members rotatably mounted bn and carried by the respective arms.

5. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said columns extend substantially parallel with respect to each other and wherein said pair of control means are connected by chain means extending from one control member through its arm and column and thence through said shaft to the other column and through the other arm to the other control member.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said columns project from a single member fixed to the shaft whereby the two columns land the single member form a Y with its upward and outwardly extending branches constituting said columns.

JOHANN HASELOFF. ERICH WESSEL. 

